[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt) › 1.3 # 勅修百丈清規 1.3 English (machine translation) 1.3 - **Language:** English ### [1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1.3) Memorial on the matter of the reprinting of the Pure Rules, extracted by the Office of Scrutiny for Rites. The monk Zhongzhi, abbot of the Dazhi Shousheng Chan Monastery on Mount Baizhang in Fengxin County, Nanchang Prefecture, Jiangxi, memorialized: 'This monastery has, since the Tang dynasty, inherited the teachings handed down by the Buddhist patriarch Chan Master Dazhi Huaihai, entitled the Baizhang Pure Rules. During the Zhiyuan era, the monk Dehui re-compiled and published it, and it was circulated throughout the monastic groves of the realm. The monastic followers followed and adhered to these rules. On the twenty-fifth day of the fourth month of the fifteenth year of the Hongwu era, an excerpt of the imperial edict and regulations of Emperor Taizu the Exalted was received: "Monks of all the mountains who do not abide by the pure rules shall be restrained by the law." This was respectfully received and adhered to. On the third day of the fifth month of the tenth year of the Yongle era, an excerpt of the imperial edict and regulations of Emperor Taizong the Cultured was received: "Monks must strictly comply with the old regulations, earnestly devote themselves to the ancestral style, strictly maintain the pure rules, and purify body and mind." On the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month of the twenty-fourth year of the Yongle era, an official of the Central Buddhist Registry memorialized: "The assembly of monks is numerous, and among them are some who do not abide by the regulations; should they not be rectified according to the pure rules?" An excerpt of the imperial edict of Emperor Renzong the Illustrious was received: "Deal with them in accordance with the pure rules." This was respectfully received and, apart from being respectfully adhered to, recently, because the printing blocks for the pure rules of this monastery have been lost over the passing of years, we have respectfully received the vast grace of the Emperor in granting universal deliverance to monks and postulants of the realm, allowing them to remain residing in their originally designated monasteries to cultivate with incense and lamps and pray for the longevity of the Emperor. Your servant observes that among latter-day monks and postulants, many have never seen the system of the pure rules, are ignorant of the standards, and unacquainted with the vinaya rules, greatly disgracing the ancestral style, which is deeply inconvenient. Your servant has re-copied and completed the carving \[of the blocks\] in accordance with the original format. Although there are prefaces from successive dynasties, the years are already distant; I truly fear that the monastic followers might regard them as ordinary matters and fail to observe them. I now present a printed volume of the reprinted Pure Rules, unfolding my niṣīdana and respectfully presenting it in person with this memorial. We humbly hope that the Holy Grace will take pity on our religion and grant an imperial preface to the Pure Rules to be carved and appended to complete the book, and promulgated to monastic groves and monasteries throughout the realm, so that abbots and head monks may supervise the assembly in lecturing and practicing, and everyone will admire the ancestral style and strictly observe the vinaya rules, thereby ensuring that monastic followers do not harm public morals.' On the twelfth day of the second month of the seventh year of the Zhengtong era, the Right Transmission Commissioner Li Xi and other officials of the Office of Transmission memorialized at the Fengtian Gate and received the imperial edict: 'Let the Ministry of Rites take note. Respect this.' This was respectfully received and copied out to this Ministry for examination. The abbot monk Zhongzhi memorialized requesting the grant of a preface for the reprint of the Baizhang Pure Rules; whether this should be transferred to the Hanlin Academy for composition, or whether the monk should be allowed to invite someone to compose it himself—because this matter concerns the imperial instruction 'Let the Ministry of Rites take note,' we dare not act arbitrarily, and respectfully memorialize to request an edict. On the nineteenth day of the second month of the seventh year of the Zhengtong era, Minister of Rites Hu Ying and other officials memorialized at the Fengtian Gate and received the imperial edict: 'Let the preface be composed by the Hanlin Academy. Respect this.' Aside from this, it is to be complied with and carried out accordingly. - [Previous: 1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1.2) - [Next: 1.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1.4) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1) ## Linked texts (1) - [勅修百丈清規](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025.1.3) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2025~en-mt.1.3) · Pramāṇa